Oliver takes the plunge for charity at Cranleigh

A youngster from Cranleigh will be making a splash for charity on Friday 17 May as he swims a mile in memory of his late cousin, who died at just five-years-old from a rare form of cancer called Neuroblastoma.

Oliver Faithfull, 10, will be swimming the mile at Cranleigh Golf and Country Club’s swimming pool on Friday, May 17, to raise money for a charity close to his heart – Neuroblastoma UK, which aims to find new, effective and kinder treatment for children who suffer from the disease and continues its research to hopefully find a cure in the future.

Neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer of the nerve tissue, is most common in children and babies and affects more than 100 children each year in the UK. Oliver’s cousin, Greg, died from the disease 15 years ago meaning Oliver never got to meet him, but he’s very close with his aunt, Donna (Greg’s mum), and also wants to do the swim for her.

Oliver is also hoping that the swim will raise awareness of the importance of learning to swim and has coincided his challenge with International Learn to Swim Week. A keen swimmer, Oliver had his first lesson when he was just three-months-old and has continued lessons with Cranleigh’s highly regarded Swim Safe School since.

He’s hoping the swim will inspire others to take up lessons. Drowning is the third highest cause of death in children in the UK with an average of one person dying every 20 hours in the UK and Ireland as a result of drowning. Another statistic that is quite astonishing is that one in five adults in England are unable to swim.

One-to-one lessons have helped Oliver prepare for his mile-long swim next week, with a focus on his breathing, swimming technique and general fitness.

Excited for the challenge, Oliver said: “15 years ago my cousin Greg died and as I’m only 10, I unfortunately never got the opportunity to meet him.

“My Swim Safe School teacher, Darren, suggested I try to swim a mile to raise funds for a charity, so I decided to raise money for Neuroblastoma UK in memory of Greg and I hope to make my Auntie Donna proud.”

Find out more about Neuroblastoma UK, International Learn to Swim Week or www.swimsafeschool.co.uk

To donate please visit Oliver’s JustGiving page

ENDS